Service hang tag

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

0001Reference is made to the inventor's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/860,459 filed Jun. 3, 2004 for a Vehicle Locator and Identification Card and Ser. No. 11/007,509 filed Dec. 8, 2004 for a Vehicle Locator and Identification Card.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

0002Businesses concerned with parking or servicing vehicles have a problem of correlating the ignition key and the vehicle owner with a particular vehicle. Paper cards with three segments separated by perforations and carrying the same number have been provided so that one segment serves as a claim check, a second segment is placed in the vehicle and a third segment has a key ring stapled to it. A computer type multiple copy form with perforated tear-off strips has been proposed for correlation of ignition key, vehicle and customer which includes perforation lines permitting separation of the form into sections—one to be placed on the vehicle, one to be connected to the ignition key in some undisclosed manner and one to be given to the automobile owner as a claim check. It has been found that in inclement weather, a paper vehicle key tag can become wet; causing it to lose strength, thereby increasing the risk of it breaking and a consequential loss of the key.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

0003The upper two segments of a three part automotive vehicle locator and service hang tag or card are formed from a thick sheet of pliable paperboard material and the lower segment includes a vehicle key tag portion made of synthetic paper, which retains its strength when wet. A matching identification number is printed on the three segments of the card. The three segments are established by perforations or slits which permit the segments to be easily separated from one another. A large upper segment of the card includes a punched out hole and a slit from an edge of the card to the hole which permits the upper segment to be attached to the rear view mirror bracket of the vehicle. A second segment of the card is a customer's claim check. A third segment of the card includes a synthetic paper portion in which a removable arrow shaped key tag is defined by long cuts and short connectors which permit easy manual separation of the key tag. Upon removal of the key tag, the head of the arrow is inserted into a T-shaped slot in the tail of the arrow to form a ring for holding an ignition key. The synthetic paper of which the key tag is formed does not lose its strength upon becoming wet, thereby greatly reducing the risk of loss of the key.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> shows the front of a vehicle locator and identification card;

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> shows the rear of the card shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>; and

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is an enlarged section taken on line <b>3</b>-<b>3</b> in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

0008The automotive vehicle locator and service card or hang tag <b>11</b> shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> includes a relatively thick pliable paperboard sheet <b>12</b>, forming an upper portion, and a lower portion <b>13</b> made of synthetic paper. The paperboard sheet <b>12</b> is perforated by cuts, or die cut substantially through its thickness, along lines <b>14</b>, <b>16</b> thereby defining and permitting easy separation of three segments <b>17</b>, <b>18</b>, <b>19</b> of the card <b>11</b>. The upper segment <b>17</b> is attached to the vehicle. The intermediate segment <b>18</b> is the customer's claim check with customer satisfaction questions on its back side. The lower segment <b>19</b> includes a relatively narrow bottom part <b>21</b> of the paperboard sheet <b>12</b> and the lower portion <b>13</b> made of synthetic paper, such as 5 SPW Spectralite synthetic paper made by Multi-Plastics, Inc. of Lewis Center, Ohio, USA. 5 SPW Spectralite synthetic paper is a polypropylene film reinforced with other fillers to enhance the white, opaque surface.

0009As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1</figref>, <b>2</b> and <b>3</b>, the synthetic paper portion <b>13</b> is secured to the part <b>21</b> of the paperboard sheet <b>12</b> in an end to end relationship by an adhesive tape <b>22</b>. An elongated arrow shaped vehicle key tag <b>26</b> is formed in the portion <b>31</b> by long cuts separated by 12 short uncut bridging connectors <b>51</b>, <b>52</b> which are not greater than one thirty second of an inch in length. A die cut <b>31</b> forms a blunt tail or rear end of the arrow shaped key tag <b>26</b> forming a slot access its width, which provides a convenient slot for insertion of a finger or thumb nail to lift and remove the key tag <b>26</b> from the portion <b>13</b>. The key tag <b>26</b> has a head <b>41</b>, a shank <b>42</b> and a tail <b>43</b>. An opening <b>27</b> and a T shaped slot consisting of a narrow channel <b>28</b> extending parallel to the shank <b>42</b> and a slit <b>29</b> at one end of the channel <b>28</b> are also die cut in the tag <b>26</b>. The slit <b>29</b> is transverse to the channel <b>28</b> and extends laterally beyond the channel <b>28</b> in laterally opposite directions. The slit <b>29</b> is as long as the width of the shank <b>42</b> of the key tag <b>26</b> and the head <b>41</b> of the key tag <b>26</b> is wider than the length of the slit <b>29</b>. After removal of the key tag <b>26</b>, an ignition key is placed on the shank <b>42</b> of the key tag <b>26</b>, the head <b>41</b> is passed through the channel <b>28</b> and the shank <b>42</b> is pulled into the slit <b>29</b>. By forming the key tag <b>26</b> of synthetic paper, the key tag <b>26</b> resists tearing and is not adversely affected by moisture.

0010The vehicle locator card <b>11</b> with its three segments <b>17</b>, <b>18</b>, <b>19</b> carrying the same identification indicia and easily separated into segments for placement in the vehicle, for a claim check and for a key tag, helps parking and servicing establishments provide prompt and accurate customer service. By using of synthetic paper for the lower portion <b>13</b>, the key tag <b>28</b> does not lose strength when it becomes wet. Forming the key tag <b>26</b> by a plurality of long die cuts with narrow connector between cuts permit the key tag <b>26</b> to be easily removed manually from the synthetic portion <b>13</b>.